Photo of the Day: June 14, 2022
Sounds of the Day: June 8, 2022
Archaeology is a multi-sensory experience. Since our discipline primarily deals with images, it is easy to forget the past was full of different sounds, smells, and tastes. Instead of a photo of the day, here we offer the sounds of the day, a soundscape of the island of Raftis captured during a mid-morning work break.
Photo of the Day: June 6, 2022
BEARS 2022 team member Braden Cordivari wrote this helpful explanation of how pXRF works. Thank you, Braden!
“Portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (pXRF) is a non-invasive, non-destructive method of surface chemical analysis. The instrument works by directing an X-ray beam at the object and converting the signal it receives back to elemental composition. It can do this because the X-rays excite the atoms in the object and cause them to release energy that is characteristic of different elements. pXRF is well-suited to characterizing archaeological metals and slags to help researchers understand what something is made of. For instance, you can use pXRF to distinguish objects made of bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) from brass (copper and zinc).”